“I don’t like to work,”says Marlowe in Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, “but I like what is in the work — the chance to find yourself.”
Tools of Titans, Tim Ferris
National Portrait Gallery, LondonYou may or may not like to work, or like the work you do, but Marlowe’s words ring true: Work provides an opportunity to find yourself.
Practice: Enumerate the things that work has taught you about yourself. When you get to a stopping place, add one more.
Discuss the qualities you like with a friend or colleague. Ask about theirs.
Optional: Consider grieving the qualities you don’t like. “Finding yourself ” includes finding selves you regret.
Related practices: No Easy Jobs, Play